Lucas’ Reflections as Student Body President

I became Student Body President when our current one accidentally graduated. It was difficult for me to take on the responsibility but I created a new system to try to best help the other Peer Leaders succeed. Despite my excitement to be President, I’d end up having to move from place to place. This made it very difficult to handle my responsibilities but despite this I managed to stay and push through until the end of the year. Seeing other people enjoy what I helped put together was very rewarding, and it was even more rewarding to be able to work with so many different people to make things happen.

The first event I worked on was the 50th Anniversary event, which had over eighty people come. There were games, a nintendo switch section, a musical chairs section and even a face art section. Everyone looked like they were having so much fun and I put in so much work to be able to make it happen. I remember scrambling from classroom to classroom talking to every teacher to help advertise the event to make sure people stayed and seeing that it paid off was really great. We also had a “Field Day” activity! Initially we were worried about how many people would show up since we had only a week to advertise and it was located at the basketball court. The outside court is at the direct opposite side from the main exit so most people start walking away from it without giving it a second thought. Despite this, through using lemonade, popsicles, and an absence excusal for classes, it managed to bring in a good amount of people. It was counted by Jocelyn that there were 60 people that stayed until the end of the event. Despite those hurdles, we managed to make the two events we did during my time super successful ones, and I’m glad that I was capable of putting it together.

Throughout my life, I’ve always missed the mark on anything I’d want to do. Volleyball, meeting new people, academic success. I always fell just short of what I wanted. Last school year I was good enough at sports to be able to be on the school’s varsity team, but soon after I ended up having to leave school and move due to complications with other students.  When our President Tayden graduated, deep down I wanted to become the new President since I’ve had half a decade’s worth of experience of managing communities and putting together events for people to enjoy. Up until that point I was more of a quiet peer leader who didn’t really talk to other people. Yet once I decided to propose a new system to C.J. I started getting confidence to really advocate for myself and to show that I can be a successful President. Even though I may not have gotten my SBO Jacket that we’re supposed to wear for the district gatherings of Presidents.

Meeting the other Presidents when we went to the capital was very interesting. Everyone was so outgoing and confident and I could tell why they were voted by their peers. I felt different though since I was chosen and I didn’t have that natural level of charisma that every single one of them had. Now after attending two district meets, I think I’m going to put even more effort into trying to meet new people and becoming the person that I want to be. I want to be someone that can offer resources and guidance to people who need it and I want to be a person that other people can rely on if they need anything. My senior year by far was the hardest year of my life, but it was also the one with the happiest memories. For the first time I always wanted to be at school and I didn’t like going home, I have real friends that I would give everything for, I know and have talked to every staff member personally. Everything that I had wanted to do for my life and get better at I managed to do and accomplish at Valley. When I graduate, the one wish that I have is that I don’t stop doing the things that make me nervous, and that I continue to strive for what I want because “why not.”

 I started doing things that required way more effort, and going out of my way to do what’s hard. I advocated for myself to be president, I pushed myself to be friends with people I’ve been plotting on for months, and I met people that are currently the most important people in my life. I always asked myself the question of why. Why would I go out of my way just to make things harder when everything felt impossibly hard already. Well the reason for that is because I was bored. I was so bored of making the decisions I’ve made in previous years, bored of how I lived my life before. I was utterly bored with what I did with myself, so I decided to change. I did those things because the old boring me wouldn’t have dreamed of doing them. If you told me what it was that I did at any point in my life including the summer before senior year, I’d be freaking out at the thought of it all. However now, I can say that I have no regrets at all. No regrets about the choices I’ve made and the actions that I’ve done. To David, Ario, Dominic and Tierca. To our library crew that I hold so close to my heart. Thank you for everything. At the start of the year I was only focused on my academics and nothing else, but meeting the four of you has made me the happiest I’ve been in my entire life. I hope that everyone I’ve come to know, understand, and then love, that you find the happiness that you’re looking for.